DOUBLE CONTACT FOR ESA ASTRONAUT PAOLO NESPOLI, IZ0JPA WITH “MANZI” AND “SAINT ROCH” SCHOOLS, ITALY

Saturday, 26 March, 2010 at 08:39 UTC and 10:14, i.e. 09:39 and 11:14 local time “Istituto Comprensivo G. Manzi” in Civitavecchia, and “Istituzione Scolalstica Saint Roch” in Aosta, Italy, established double ARISS contact with Italian astronaut PAOLO NESPOLI, IZ0JPA on board the International Space Station. Astronaut NESPOLI operated with the special Italian callsign IR0ISS that he will use during his mission. The "Comprehensive Institute “G. Manzi” in Civitavecchia and the Educational Institution “Saint Roch” operated the contact with callsign IK0WGF.

The “Manzi” middle school is located in the center of Civitavecchia, a port on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, not far from Rome. The “Manzi” middle school is located in the center of Civitavecchia, a port on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, not far from Rome. The school is the seat of the Presidency and Secretariat, includes 22 classes of middle school, 9 classes of primary school and 3 classes of kindergarten. It is attended by 500 students and pupils aged 3 to 14. The school has a computer lab and 6 classrooms are connected to the Internet and have a Multimedia Interactive Blackboard. The school offers a variety of elective courses in history, geography, mathematics, road education, computer and scientific laboratory, musical instruments and chorus, theatre and cinema.

The "Saint Roch" school in Aosta has started three years ago the bilingual project (French and Italian) "Saint-Roch Etoiles" (SRE). This is an educational project addressed to teachers, pupils and their families in Aosta Valley, Italy. SRE is devoted to the study of astronomy and space sciences, which has until now involved about 600 students from different school levels (Infant, Primary and lower Secondary School). The project started in 2009, the International Year of Astronomy, under the patronage of the Regional Board of Education of the Autonomous Region of the Aosta Valley, with the collaboration of the Fondazione Clément Fillietroz – ONLUS, managing the Astronomical Observatory of the Autonomous Region of the Aosta Valley (OAVdA) and the Planetarium of Lignan.

ARISS mentor Francesco De Paolis, IK0WGF and radio contact coordinator for this shared event in Civitavecchia and in Aosta decided to set up a direct contact with assistance from ARISS Telebridge station IK1SLD, installed at Casale Monferrato Airport, Piemonte, Italy. The questions were read by the students at “Autorita Portuale “ in Civitavecchia (Port authority of Rome) and “Saint Roch” school in Aosta where an audience of about 400 students, teachers, visitors and media participated to the event. Before the contact, ARISS mentor Francesco De Paolis, IK0WGF introduced the event with a presentation on the ARISS project.

At 08:39 UTC, contact with IR0ISS was established by station IK0WGF. Astronaut Paolo NESPOLI answered 13 questions read alternately by students in Civitavecchia and in Aosta. At 10:14 UTC, contact with IR0ISS was again established by station IK0WGF. Paolo NESPOLI answered 21 more questions and exchanged final greetings. The ISS link was provided by IK0WGF ground station, located in Civitavecchia and connected with “Saint Roch” school per phone line, as well as by ARISS Telebridge station IK1SLD.

Regional and local media and newspapers covered the event.

Streaming video was for both contacts on:

http://www.livestream.com/AMSAT_Italia

ARISS contact was announced by web story on ESA Portal - National News:

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMEWZ3UFLG_Italy_0.html

Congratulations to all ARISS teams in Aosta, Civitavecchia and IK1SLD!

Francesco De Paolis, IK0WGF

ARISS mentor

Saint Roch poster

Civitavecchia poster

Audio recording first pass

Audio recording second pass